Nanny Agencies: Is the Internet friend or foe?

Matching the right nanny with the right family is what separates the successful agencies from the also-rans. But with the growth of numerous online nanny registration sites, many would-be employers are bypassing nanny agencies in the hopes that they can do the job themselves The question is: How do nanny placement agencies compete with these potential competitors? The answer actually lies in the old adage: If you canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t beat them, join them.

Online nanny registration sites such as www.nannyclassifieds.com, are actually helping agencies place more nannies and find more parents looking for help in securing dependable child care.

Listings, Listings, Listings

The first step, of course, is finding eligible nannies. Many nanny agencies conduct their search via multiple media Ã¢â‚¬â€œ including newspaper ads, listings on their own websites, college and community job boards, and more. Lately, however, more and more agencies have been expanding the ways in which they use the Internet both to market their nannies and to find them.

NannyClassifieds.com, for example, has recently reported that an increasing number of agencies are signing up for their services in order to supplement their recruiting activities.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Some agencies see it as competition Ã¢â‚¬â€œ but itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not really competition,Ã¢â‚¬Â says Alicia Torchia, a Placement Consultant with Careful Caregivers in Skillman, NJ. Why? ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s all about specialization. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Only so many caregivers will fit a certain position,Ã¢â‚¬Â Torchia explains. Ã¢â‚¬Å“With NannyClassifieds.com, I can specify on my profile exactly what IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m looking for in terms of experience.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Merrilan Kougias from Choose the Right Nanny in McKinney, TX also makes online recruitment a part of her greater recruitment plan, one which includes numerous media and methods. Ã¢â‚¬Å“We began with just a website, but quickly learned that you have to Ã¢â‚¬ËœdriveÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ clients to your location,Ã¢â‚¬Â Kougias says. Ã¢â‚¬Å“We began utilizing Web-enhancement tools like Google very soon after and Nanny Classifieds over a year ago. We like how we can put in our own selection criteriaÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ Every morning we have new resumes in our e-mail to review!Ã¢â‚¬Â

Especially when serving families with very specific criteria, an online search allows agencies to post openings based on those particular needs. The result is a more qualified candidate pool and a much greater chance for a successful match. Ã¢â‚¬Å“There are many days when we will have 10 resumes or more,Ã¢â‚¬Â Kougias says. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Not all of the candidates will meet our criteria, but the way I figure it, if even one does, and we are able to place that candidate, then my advertising dollars for that month have been well spent.Ã¢â‚¬Â

To assist agencies in meeting their recruitment goals, NannyClassifieds makes it easy to post targeted ads, whether oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s market is regional or national. Agencies can post up to four ads at a time, have unlimited access to nanny contact information, and receive notifications each time a nanny signs up in their area.

Of course, good old-fashioned word-of-mouth is important, too. Ã¢â‚¬Å“I can’t tell you the number of times that I have been standing in a line at the grocery store or the post office and people will notice my name tag and ask what it is I do,Ã¢â‚¬Â says Kougias. Ã¢â‚¬Å“It isn’t uncommon for me to hand out several cards to people who are interested in becoming a nanny or better yet, they are in the process of searching for a nanny!Ã¢â‚¬Â

In todayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s marketplace, an integrated marketing plan is the surest path to success. Interested in expanding your recruitment plan with NannyClassifieds.com? Click here to learn more.